Frenchman RE-3 board hears strong academic report, approves budget items

Four Frenchman RE-3 students earned Northeastern Junior College degrees before receiving high school diplomas, and 14 more completed college courses while still in high school, giving Fleming families one of the clearest signs yet that advanced coursework is reaching classrooms. The board heard that academic report, discussed staffing updates and approved preliminary budget items during its regular meeting May 18.

For a district that serves 215 students across two schools in Fleming, those numbers carry outsized weight. Colorado Department of Education SchoolView lists Superintendent Steve McCracken and shows a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio, while the district’s student-counselor ratio stands at 108-to-1. SchoolView also lists a 13.3% staff turnover rate, underscoring how much continuity matters in a district this small.

During open forum, Randy Stahley praised the district’s educational results and pointed to the college-credit progress. The achievement fits Colorado’s concurrent enrollment model, which is designed to let high school students earn college credit early. State guidance says students in those programs are more likely to enroll in college within one year after graduation, complete postsecondary education and earn higher workforce wages after finishing college. Northeastern Junior College says its concurrent enrollment option has been available since Colorado authorized it in 2009.

The budget action matters because it will help determine whether Frenchman RE-3 can keep those opportunities in place next year. In a district this size, staffing, course offerings and student support are tightly linked, and any budget change can show up quickly in class schedules, counseling access and the number of classes available at Fleming School on North Fremont Avenue.

The May meeting also fit into a busy year of planning. In February, the board approved the 2026-27 calendar and a BEST grant match on a 4-1 vote. In April, members approved an early graduation request and adopted certified and classified salary schedules. Those decisions, combined with the May preliminary budget work, show a district trying to protect academic momentum while covering the practical costs of running a small Logan County school system.